BORN with cerebral palsy little Abe Astur’s parents despaired that he would ever walk independently but thanks to a remarkable operation that dream is now coming true

Abe Astur is delighted with his new freedom of movement [STEVE REIGATE]

This time last year toddler Abe Astur could not stand independently, he relied on a walking frame to get around and his prospects of ever being able to walk normally were slim.

Now this bright, cheeky three-year-old is confidently scampering around using only his tripod canes for balance.

His delighted parents Leigh, 37, and Gavin, 39, hope he will soon be able to walk unaided.

His remarkable transformation is all thanks to a pioneering spinal operation he underwent in March last year. Abe, whose story touched the hearts of Daily Express readers, was born with a form of cerebral palsy known as spastic diplegia which stemmed from brain damage caused by being born 10 weeks early.

It meant his leg muscles were permanently tight, severely affecting his mobility and leading to deformities of his hips, legs and feet as he grew.

Surgeons in St Louis, Missouri, in the US treated him by severing “over-firing” nerves connected to Abe’s leg muscles. The technique, selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), was pioneered by doctors there in the late Eighties, and to date it has been successfully carried out on more than 2,300 patients.

However it is far less established in the UK and it is still not routinely funded by the NHS.

Abe’s surgery was paid for via a successful £50,000 fundraising effort organised by his family and friends and supported by Daily Express readers.

For a child who could not stand, let alone walk independently prior to surgery, this is an amazing achievement

Leigh Astur

Ten months down the line the treatment has had an incredible effect, banishing the tightness (spasticity) in his leg muscles. “The progress is great,” says Leigh. “It has been slow and steady, which is perfect.

“He is now comfortable walking independently in safe, protected environments such as at home or in the physiotherapy centre. For a child who could not stand, let alone walk independently prior to surgery, this is an amazing achievement.”

After the surgery Abe’s muscles are weaker because the spasticity has been removed so he must learn to use them properly for the first time through intensive physiotherapy, three times a week, which is expected to continue for the next two years.

He is able to go swimming and his core strength is also being developed by horse riding twice a week.

The family, from Winchester, Hampshire, spent a month in the US while Abe made his initial recovery from the operation.

His parents, who have an older daughter Thea, aged five, are hopeful he will avoid the damage to the hips, legs and feet caused by the unnatural walking patterns often associated with cerebral palsy.

“His walking pattern would definitely have caused damage,” said Leigh. “Now he has no spasticity, no tightness, he can flex his ankle as well as his sister could at that age.

“He can see where he wants to go and get there. Without the operation I couldn’t see him doing that. Dr Park, the surgeon who operated on him, says in the future he will be able to do sport. Martial arts are particularly good because of the stretching.”

The NHS has been reluctant to recommend SDR for children under four, such as Abe, partly because of the intensive physiotherapy required afterwards.

“Some professionals say three is too early but I would say do it as soon as you can,” says Leigh. “It’s not a good idea to delay just because you are worried about the physiotherapy.”

She adds: “We would like to thank Daily Express readers for supporting Abe. The coverage we have had and our blog have allowed us to spread the message that this surgery is truly life changing.”

The NHS has recently announced that SDR will be included in its new Commissioning through Evaluation programme which allows selected patients to receive treatments that it does not consider well enough proved to be routinely funded.